Who do you bank with?

[DarrenC]

Which bank do you bank with for your business, and why?

I'm looking for a new account with competitive rates.

[Coding Monkey]

Natwest, and I have a few things to say about them, but I'll probably be accused of slander.

Moving to Barclays, as they hijacked me at a networking event

[Admiral Collections]

Be careful with slander Mac, look where it got you last time!


NIc :wink:

[Jayne]

Lloyds TSB, because my Bank Manager is lovely and very helpful, he doesn't mind if you want a chat about anything, he' always got time for you :D

Jayne

[DarrenC]

Jayne, I'm with Lloyds TSB - not impressed with them to be honest, new business manager every month.

[Hayles]

HSBC - great except the Indian call centre. GRRR :evil:

[DarrenC]

Hayles, that will put me off straight away :)

[Jayne]

I'll phone my manager, I use the Dewsbury branch, his name is Julian, I'll tell him to sort it out and kick the lLeeds lot up the bum :D

He's always been great with us. :D

Jayne

[fastfences]

Yep, HSBC. And that call centre is crap. They won't even give you a local number for your own branch, and you have to go through a major interrogation before you even start. Of course the answer is not to call them, but sometimes you just have to.

I think most people will say it's the manager, not the bank that gives us the reason to remain with or leave a bank.
Cheers, Nigel

[confused]

I hate overseas call centres, nothing against anyone from overseas, but the company could at least ensure the people they employed spoke and understood a BIT of English ! tech support (http://www.scarysquirrel.org/special/movies/foamy/tech2.html) (bad language 18+) (if you get a 404, try later)

[creacom]

We had a terrible experience with Barclays so moved over to the Royal Bank of Scotland.

I have quite a few friends who are with HSBC and think they are good. As was stated before, I think it depends on your branch manager. As much as it is great to do internet banking etc, someone in business really needs to have 1 on 1 contact with their bank from time to time.

Jacqueline':D'

[Tin]

Darren, I'm with Lloyds TSB too, my first business manager was great (nice guy and always happy to fire ideas off), internally things must have went pop with Lloyds as I've had 5 managers in the last short while which makes me feel they don't really care about their customers.
So I'm going elsewhere.
Nigel suggested HSBC but I might need to rethink if all I'm gojng to get is an Indian call centre when what I really want is a talk with my manager. What the hell happened to banks wanting to actually get to know & work with businesses for mutual benefit but on a local basis?
The banking industry has gone too anonymous, faceless and removed from personalities for my liking, bringing back people, customer familiarity and a "personal service" is something I feel we'd all profit from.

Ray

[bwglaw]

I personally banked with Midland Bank before being taken over by HSBC - with them for 13 years. I started with Natwest Direct Business Banking - crap, useless and NO relationship with them. Was a partnership at the time, and changing to Ltd Co they took 3 months to open the Ltd Co account and had thousands of uncleared cheques, DD/SO bouncing etc. They eventually compensated me £400 - they offered £250 which I rejected.

Having been with HSBC for 13 years personally I transferred business account. I now have 6 business accounts with them all managed by ONE internet interface. Their internet banking is second to none! Natwest still in the stone-ages and had no contact with a Branch.

HSBC offer free banking for 12 months, thereafter fees apply. They are not the cheapest of all but service is good. I do not use telephone banking when the internet is very good.

Macmyday - its libel, not slander. Slander is spoken. Libel is printed/electronic. Study my posting on 'Defamation' in 'Feedback' section - will ask questions later! ;)

[DarrenC]

Ray, yes I did exaggerate a little, but everytime I call my "Bank manager" no one is there, and it's different all the time.

HSBC do you have a local business manager, or are ALL calls through the call centre? Telephone banking doesn't interest me, so if there internet banking is good, and service rates are good, then I could be tempted.

I agree with Ray though, banks nowadays don't appear to keen to get business customers as they used to be - you used to see tv adverts all the time - not anymore (not when I watch tv anyway!)

Any other suggestions?

Darren

[creospace]

Lloyds bank, great!

Gary

[Hayles]

Not sure if you can have your business manager's phone number now. We don't have a business manager as she moved jobs! However, all the staff at the branch we use are very helpful so no probs there. Again, I agree that it's the relationship you have with the staff and managers that really counts.

If you call the call centre you have about a 90% chance of an indian answering. Occasionally you get someone from the UK.

Obviously you don't have to speak to anyone unless there's a problem as it's all automated if you prefer pushing buttons to speaking to people.

I've only just signed up for the internet business banking so can't comment there.

Hayles

[fastfences]

HSBC do you have a local business manager, or are ALL calls through the call centre? Telephone banking doesn't interest me, so if there internet banking is good, and service rates are good, then I could be tempted.

Darren

HSBC internet banking is brilliant!
Cheers, Nigel

[bwglaw]

Seconded Nigel

[Tin]

Darren, I don't have a problem getting hold of my manager it's just that he changes his name all the time :? and then asks me what I do for a living, basically, this does not make me feel like I want to stay with them.

Gary, I get the impression that you are where I was a while ago where my manager was a great guy (Hi Bill, just in case you're lurking... you need to get back to the bank to rescue them) and banking with him/her was a pleasure, and I envy you!

Handson, thanks for you input. It echoes really what I've gleaned from other forums and for me it's HSBC as soon as they open again after Christmas.

Nigel, spot on! It is 'all about' personalities and if you've got a 'good un' you'll stay with them whatever. Problem is they are too few in number which is a real shame but thanks for that insightful observation. :-)

Ray

[thekitchendesigner]

so many different views here!

i posted a similar question on another forum a while back, as i too need to change my business banking. currently with HSBC and have had enough. Call centre issue grinds with me. They even 'forgot' to set an overdraft for me for a whole year. Nice.

Business manager i had was great, but left without a trace and now replaced by branch come business manager. Oh dear. Since then, rubbish - she never turned up for a meeting (arrnaged by her) and palmed me off with a trainee.

Internet banking ok & do use a lot, but from time to time you do need to talk to someone locally, not in a call centre. thats where they fall down BIG time. I'm off to another bank in the new year.

They provide & service & they charge for it so we deserve customer service.

[gapgb]

The Co-Operative bank. Free for 18 months, good internet and phone banking. Ethical and also use them for personal account.

[coxadmin]

I bank with Abbey (http://www.anbusiness.com).

No branches but free banking (http://www.anbusiness.com/services/charges_interest.shtml#freebank) for life within very generous limits - e.g. no charges for deposits, 100 cheques per month then 50p per cheques paid in, BACS credits free, direct debits, standing orders and bill payment free.